Chapter 72
As night fell, the moon rose and hung above the treetops, like a small boat.
The moonlight was beautiful on this spring night, and the courtyard was filled with a faint fragrance of flowers, which seemed to emanate from the peach trees. All the houses, big and small, were dark, leaving only the pale moonlight on the ground, which weakly illuminated a shimmering puddle.
Two dark figures were reflected in the puddle.
Yin Qiu peered into the darkness for a long time, and seeing that all the disciples' rooms were dark, he turned around and said to the person squatting behind him, "Stay with me and don't make a sound."
Meng Jing gripped the clothes in his hands tightly and nodded slightly.
Yin Qiu took the lead and went out from the corner of the corridor first. Meng Jing carefully followed her. The two of them hunched over and crept in for a while in the cold wind before tiptoeing open the door to the bathhouse. As soon as they entered, Yin Qiu locked the door.
“Everyone’s asleep now, and the water’s still hot,” Yin Qiu said, sitting on a small stool by the door and staring outside. “Hurry up and wash, I’ll hold the door for you.”
Meng Jing glanced at her, hurriedly took off his clothes and entered the hot spring, turning back to ask, "Aren't you going to wash?"
Yin Qiu waved her hand, indicating to Meng Jing that she didn't need to worry about her, and said, "I've already washed up, you should hurry up."
Just past midnight, the disciples had all gone to sleep, and the patrolling guards had already come twice. There was hardly anyone in the courtyard. Meng Jing had never been to the women's courtyard at this hour before. Even with Yin Qiu keeping watch for her, Meng Jing still couldn't help feeling nervous. Fortunately, no one came after she finished bathing. Once she was dressed, Meng Jing finally felt relieved.
“If you need to take a bath in the future, just tell me in advance,” Yin Qiu said, facing the door without ever turning her head back. “It’s much better than you coming to take a cold shower in the middle of the night.”
Meng Jing had indeed not taken a hot bath in a long time. Since coming to Yunhua Palace, she had been taking cold baths for a long time. Even though she was taking cold baths, there was a risk of being discovered by male disciples in the male courtyard. Therefore, she could only go to the female courtyard every night with trepidation. Even if she was seen by female disciples, it wouldn't be too embarrassing.
There were no lamps in the bathhouse, only a faint moonlight shining through the window paper. Meng Jing finished dressing by that light, her cheeks flushed slightly from the steam. Looking at Yin Qiu's back, she whispered, "Thank you."
Yin Qiu smiled and said, "You're welcome. Are you done yet?"
Meng Jing hummed in agreement.
Yin Qiu then stood up, put the small stool back in its place, and said, "Then I'll see you out."
As she spoke, she gently lifted the latch and pushed it open a crack, cautiously observing the movements outside. After seeing that no one was walking in the yard, she pushed the door open completely, turned her head, and said, "Come in."
The lanterns under the eaves had all gone out sometime ago. Although the moonlight was beautiful tonight, it couldn't provide any illumination. Yin Qiu strained her eyes to make out the surroundings in the dim light. She waited at the door for a while, but Meng Jing didn't follow. Just as she was about to turn her head to look, a slender, pale arm suddenly reached out from inside the house, grabbed her wrist, and pulled Yin Qiu back immediately.
Yin Qiu was startled and was about to instinctively cry out when the hand quickly moved from her wrist to her face, covering Yin Qiu's mouth tightly.
"Don't make a sound." Meng Jing's deep voice sounded in her ear.
Hearing Meng Jing's deliberately lowered voice, Yin Qiu inexplicably got goosebumps and whispered, "What's wrong?"
Noticing that her breath was exhaling onto his palm as she spoke, bringing a warm sensation, Meng Jing's fingers stiffened. He then pulled Yin Qiu and quickly ran back to the bathhouse to hide behind the screen.
"Someone's coming."
The two huddled together, both looking at the doorway. After a short while, two female disciples carrying clothes pushed the door open and came in. Like them, these two locked the door as soon as they entered, as if afraid of being seen.
"It's so dark, why isn't anyone lighting a lamp?" a female disciple said.
"It's all your fault. You didn't study properly during the day and were punished by your instructor to practice swordsmanship. You're lucky to have hot water now that you're back. It's alright if you're a little dark," another female disciple said.
"But I can't see clearly, hey, can you help me?"
"How stupid! Go hang up the clothes."
·
Seeing the female disciple holding her clothes and walking towards the screen, Yin Qiu's heart sank. Just as she was wondering if she should find another place to hide, Meng Jing quickly got up, grabbed Yin Qiu, and swiftly pulled her into the cabinet.
Although the movements were swift, they still inevitably made some noise. The female disciple clearly heard it and immediately shouted, "Who goes there!"
Yin Qiu was startled, her heart raced, and she couldn't help but panic. In contrast, Meng Jing remained calm and nonchalantly closed the cabinet door.
Another female disciple, who was about to go into the water, heard the noise and asked, "Is anyone there?"
"I think I heard footsteps," the female disciple said suspiciously, circling the screen twice but seeing no one. "Could I have misheard?"
"Stop being so paranoid! Hurry up and finish washing so you can go back to sleep," another female disciple said impatiently. "At this hour, how many people are coming back this late like us?"
The female disciple was still a little uneasy, so she looked around the screen carefully again before finally hanging up her clothes and going into the pool with her companion to wash.
Seeing the female disciple leave through the crack in the cabinet door, and hearing the rushing water, Yin Qiu finally breathed a sigh of relief, his palms sweating.
That was close.
If they find out Meng Jing is here, it will be troublesome.
Yin Qiu raised her hand to press her pounding chest, still feeling a little uneasy, perhaps because she was frightened and couldn't help but be nervous. After a while, Yin Qiu felt her hands and feet go numb and she felt a little suffocated. She wanted to change to a more comfortable position, but as soon as she moved, Meng Jing suddenly pressed her down.
"Don't move."
The voice rang out above her head. Yin Qiu looked up slightly and saw Meng Jing looking down at her in the dim light.
The cabinet wasn't big, and it was even a bit narrow. The top two shelves were filled with bath products like soap powder and bath beans, while the bottom was piled with wooden ladles and bathtubs. Although there were a lot of things, they didn't take up the whole space. They were just stacked haphazardly on one side of the cabinet, so Yin Qiu and Meng Jing squeezed into the empty space on the other side, which prevented them from being unable to move around.
But the wooden ladles were piled up too messily and were about to fall over. If you weren't careful, they could be knocked over. With Meng Jing pressing her down, Yin Qiu had no choice but to endure it and stay still.
The sound of water outside never stopped. Yin Qiu silently prayed that the two women would wash up quickly, but to his surprise, after a long while, the two female disciples did not leave. Instead, they seemed to be playing in the water, chatting and laughing, not in a hurry to leave at all.
The two of them were having a great time, but poor Yin Qiu was suffering. She was half-squatting, unable to stand up or sit down, and worried about bumping into things behind her. Yin Qiu's limbs ached and she had trouble breathing. After enduring it for a long time, she finally couldn't take it anymore and reached out to put her hands on Meng Jing's shoulders for support, saying, "I can't take it anymore, I feel so uncomfortable..."
Meng Jing was in no better shape than her, also unable to sit or stand. Even though both of them were relatively thin and not too crowded, who would dare to move easily in this situation?
"Endure it." Meng Jing gritted his teeth, trying his best to maintain his posture.
Yin Qiu tried to hold back, but she couldn't stop trembling. She didn't even realize that she was using force, pinching Meng Jing's skin painfully. As a result, Meng Jing couldn't help but feel it too. She heard Yin Qiu's breathing becoming more and more rapid and thought to herself that things might not be good if this continued. So she leaned close to Yin Qiu's ear and whispered, "Stand up a bit."
Yin Qiu's legs were trembling. She finally managed to stand up but bumped her head against the shelf with a dull thud. Meng Jing quickly covered her head and slid down against the cabinet. Yin Qiu was terrified when she felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist. The next moment, Meng Jing pulled her back and made her sit on his lap.
A strong scent of soapberry wafted over, and Yin Qiu felt much lighter, freeing her hands and feet. She still had her hands on Meng Jing's shoulders for balance, and asked breathlessly, "Am I too heavy? Am I pressing on you?"
Meng Jing, supporting her waist, didn't answer immediately upon hearing this, but after a moment said, "No..."
The two of them fell silent, neither of them moving again.
Even so, Yin Qiu remained tense and dared not relax. She strained her ears to listen to the movements of the two people outside, but could only hear her own heart pounding like a drum, which was quite noisy. Yin Qiu exhaled and secretly reassured herself not to panic, but after she calmed down, the sound of her heartbeat continued to ring out, filling the narrow space and becoming particularly noticeable.
Yin Qiu looked puzzled and withdrew one hand to feel her chest.
The beating was clearly not fast, so why was it still so loud?
Soon, Yin Qiu realized that it wasn't her heartbeat, but Meng Jing's.
A faint ray of light peeked through the crack in the door, like a wisp of silk falling between Meng Jing's brows and eyes. Yin Qiu looked down at her, thinking to herself that Meng Jing seemed calm, but was actually much more flustered than she was. Yin Qiu thought for a moment, then leaned closer to comfort Meng Jing, saying, "Your heart is beating so fast. It's okay, it'll be fine once they leave. Don't be nervous."
Meng Jing looked up at her, her eyes reflecting the misty moonlight, making her eyes appear wet, as if they were covered with a layer of frost.
She didn't say anything.
Their scents mingled, creating a unique fragrance. Meng Jing smelled the familiar sweetness emanating from Yin Qiu and suddenly recalled that day in the library when Yin Qiu covered her with her outer robe; she had also smelled the same fragrance then.
Like a delicate orchid, with a hint of sweetness, its scent inexplicably brings a sense of peace.
In my memory, my mother's scent was somewhat similar.
Meng Jing's eyes gradually became unfocused as her thoughts raced. She remembered the last time she hugged her mother, just like Yin Qiu was now, sitting on her mother's lap, clinging tightly to her mother's arms in the bumpy carriage.
She still remembers the smell of blood that night—so strong, so hot, and so unforgettable.
I still harbor resentment in my heart.
But she didn't hate anyone else; she hated herself for not being able to learn martial arts and take revenge.
·
"They're almost there, they're getting dressed." Yin Qiu peered through the cabinet door, trying to catch a glimpse of the two female disciples.
As she finished speaking, she was about to gently open the cabinet door a little when a sudden pain shot through her waist. Yin Qiu let out a very soft cry, looked back at Meng Jing, and said in surprise, "Why did you suddenly use so much force? You hurt me."
Meng Jing was startled, not yet realizing that she was tightly gripping Yin Qiu with both hands. She snapped back to her senses and slowly released her grip.
"Feel sorry."
Noticing that she looked unwell, Yin Qiu sat up straight and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Meng Jing took a breath, avoiding eye contact with Yin Qiu. She lowered her head and said softly, "No."
With her vision too blurry, Yin Qiu couldn't quite make out her expression, so she didn't pay much attention to it. When she saw the two female disciples finally push open the door and leave the bathhouse, Yin Qiu sighed with relief and said, "Finally they're gone. I was so suffocated." She quickly opened the cabinet door and scrambled out on all fours. "Hurry up and get out. Let's go back early so that nothing else might happen later."
Meng Jing watched her movements but didn't follow suit immediately. He simply called out to her without moving, "Yin Qiu."
Hearing the call, Yin Qiu stopped halfway up the mountain and turned around to ask, "What's wrong?"
Meng Jing hesitated for a moment, as if she had something to say, but in the end she just shook her head slightly: "Nothing, let's go..."
Yin Qiu glanced at her, not understanding why Meng Jing suddenly seemed so preoccupied, but since she didn't want to talk about it, Yin Qiu didn't press further. The two of them came out of the cabinet one after the other and then cautiously made their way to the bathhouse door.
The two female disciples were still walking down the corridor. Yin Qiu didn't rush to leave. He stood by the door and quietly watched their backs. Only after they had completely disappeared from sight did Yin Qiu go out and say to Meng Jing, "It's already very late. We can't delay any longer. Let's go back to our rooms quickly."
Compared to her previous caution, Yin Qiu was now bolder. She walked close to the wall and escorted Meng Jing to the courtyard gate, patiently reminding her, "Be careful on the way, don't let anyone see you."
Meng Jing was distracted and only gave perfunctory replies.
Seeing that she was out of sorts and not knowing how to comfort her, Yin Qiu could only say a few more words of concern before turning and leaving. Meng Jing stood there, watching Yin Qiu leave, wanting to call out to her several times, but unable to utter a sound.
After a long while, she sighed solemnly and left the women's college with heavy steps.
·
After that earlier incident, it was almost midnight. Yin Qiu hurried towards the disciples' quarters. As she passed by the window, she suddenly noticed that the bamboo branch hanging there was gone.
Yin Qiu's eyes lit up, and she quickly went around the corner of the corridor back to her room. But when she opened the door, the room was deserted and there wasn't a soul in sight.
Why is nobody here?
Yin Qiu walked around the room and then peeked out the window, but she couldn't see Gongzi Fan anywhere.
The bamboo branch had been hanging there for many days without anyone taking it. Apart from Young Master Fan, no one else should have taken it.
But since he came, why wasn't he waiting for her in the room?
Yin Qiu was puzzled, so she could only lie down on the couch and wait. But after a long time, Gongzi Fan did not come. Yin Qiu gradually became sleepy. She thought that he should know her intentions when he saw the bamboo branch and would come sooner or later. So she stopped waiting, covered herself with the quilt and gradually fell asleep in the sound of the wind.
Originally, Yin Qiu had assumed that Gongzi Fan would not show up tonight, but unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, the familiar knocking sound came from the window. Yin Qiu was startled awake and got up to see that Gongzi Fan was standing outside the window as usual, holding a few pebbles in his hand.
Yin Qiu was overjoyed and quickly put on her clothes and got off the bed to open the door for Gongzi Fan.
"I thought you weren't coming. Come in quickly."
The moon was high in the sky, and the entire courtyard was shrouded in a cold, desolate moonlight. Gongzi Fan pulled up his wide sleeves, walked to the table and sat down, taking a bamboo branch from his sleeve and placing it on the table.
"There have been many things happening in the valley lately, and I haven't been able to get away for a while. What brings you here?"
His question left Yin Qiu bewildered: "I'm looking for you... of course I'm looking for you! You promised to teach me qinggong after the New Year, why haven't you come for so long? What have you been busy with?"
Gongzi Fan smiled and said, "Can't you guess what I'm busy with?"
Ever since she had a brief encounter with him at the Ziwei Sect that day, Yin Qiu had wanted to talk to him in person, so she asked, "If I'm not mistaken, you were the one who led people there personally the night the Ziwei Sect caught fire, weren't you?"
Gongzi Fan nodded slightly, picked up the teapot, shook it, poured a cup of cold tea, and said, "It's me." He glanced at Yin Qiu, "I've been exposed for saving you, and many children in the valley have been lost. How will you repay me?"
This time, Yin Qiu was able to be successfully rescued by Man Jiangxue, and Gongzi Fan was indeed a great help. Yin Qiu said, "How do you want me to repay you?"
Gongzi Fan sized her up for a moment, a cryptic look flashing in his eyes hidden beneath the mask. He smiled faintly and said:
"If you really want to repay me, then don't take first place at the new disciple assembly in August."
Author's Note: I'm here, and I've brought red envelopes with me.
As usual, all the angels who leave a comment before midnight will receive one.
It's true that sending red envelopes can be addictive.
Then, after two more chapters, it will be the New Disciples Conference. At that time, the first volume will end, and the second volume will begin, and Qiuqiu will have grown up.
That means you can start dating.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
